Flexible Pouch With Easy-Opening Features

ABSTRACT

A flexible pouch is formed from a laminate having built-in opening features. The laminate is wrapped/folded into a generally tubular configuration and sealed at top and bottom ends and along a longitudinal fin. A tear initiation feature is provided in the form of a hole extending through the laminate and located within a top seal of the pouch. The tear initiation feature is located at one longitudinal edge of the pouch when the laminate is wrapped and sealed to form the pouch. A fin tear-propagating feature is also provided in the form of two tear areas formed respectively in the side edges of the laminate such that the tear areas substantially coincide on the fin so as to form the fin tear-propagating feature, the fin tear-propagating feature being substantially in transverse alignment with the tear initiation feature. In another embodiment, the tear initiation feature is provided as a score line extending across the pouch.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser.No. 12/180,709 filed on Jul. 28, 2008, which is currently pending, andthe entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure relates to food or beverage containers in the form of asealed pouch or the like formed from flexible laminate material. Thelaminate typically includes at least a barrier layer and a sealantlayer. Edges of the laminate material are sealed together via thesealant layer to create the pouch or other configuration.

A variety of food and non-food products are packaged using flexiblepackaging materials formed primarily of laminations of one or more ofpolymer films, metallized polymer films, paper, metal foil, and thelike. In many instances, it is desirable to provide easy access to thecontents of the package such that a user can provide minimal effort toopen the package without the risk of injury. Packages that are easilyopened, however, typically suffer from being poorly sealed resulting inthe contents of the package being adversely affected (e.g., becomingsoggy, drying out, etc.) by exposure to the surrounding environment.

Easy opening of such flexible packaging has been a longstanding problemto which much effort has been devoted toward developing a satisfactorysolution by many workers in the field. Mechanical or laser ablation toform a notch or line of weakening in the laminate material, at whichtearing of the material can be initiated, has been the typical approach.In the case of laser-formed opening features, a past approach has beento ablate partway through the thickness of the laminate to weaken itwhile attempting to not compromise the barrier function of the laminate.These techniques have not met with complete success in all cases,particularly when the unablated portions of the laminate are a highlyextensible material, because the extensible layers may not tear easily.Instead, the highly extensible materials typically stretch, and thus,result in opening failures of the package.

Further, mechanical processes to form a notch or line of weakening inthe laminate material add complexity and scrap to the manufacturingprocess. The equipment involved with mechanical processes, such asdie-cutting equipment, typically involves numerous moving parts.Manufacturing processes involving moving parts typically malfunctionmore frequently and become misaligned, and thus, additional maintenanceof the manufacturing process is required to repair and/or align themoving parts. Mechanical processes also can create scrap that mayinterfere with the manufacturing process or may need to be removed by aseparate process, adding cost and complexity to the overallmanufacturing process.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved manufacturing process toproduce opening features for sealed pouches formed from flexiblelaminate that securely seals the contents of a package during thepacking process but allows the package to be easily opened by theconsumer.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure addresses the above needs and achieves otheradvantages, by providing a flexible packaging structure and method formaking same, in which the structure has opening features built into thestructure. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a pouchis formed from a laminate comprising an outer structure joined inface-to-face relation to an inner structure. The outer structure formsthe exterior surface of the completed pouch, and the inner structureforms an interior product-contacting surface of the pouch. After thelaminate is wrapped and/or folded into a generally tubularconfiguration, opposite longitudinal edge portions of the laminate aresealed together to form a fin, and opposite ends of the tubularstructure are sealed to form top and bottom seal areas. The pouchincludes easy-open tear-facilitating features located within the topseal area.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the tear-facilitatingfeatures include a tear initiation feature comprising a hole formedthrough the laminate and straddling a first fold line along which thelaminate is folded when it is wrapped about the longitudinal axis. Thereis a second fold line along which the laminate is folded when it iswrapped. The fold lines respectively become the two longitudinal edgesof the completed pouch. The tear initiation feature is located withinthe top seal of the completed pouch.

The laminate further defines a fin tear-propagating feature comprisingtwo tear areas formed respectively in the side edges of the laminatesuch that the tear areas substantially coincide on the fin so as to formthe fin tear-propagating feature. The fin tear-propagating feature issubstantially in transverse alignment with the tear initiation feature.The tear areas can comprise notches formed into the side edges of thelaminate so that they extend partway across the widths of the respectivefin panels that are sealed together to form the fin.

The top seal is configured such that the tear initiation feature and fintear-propagating feature are located in the top seal area, so that thesefeatures do not compromise the sealing of the pouch. The top seal isfurther configured so that a portion of the unsealed area of thelaminate is in transverse alignment with the tear features. In thismanner, when a user opens the pouch by starting the tear at the tearinitiation feature and continuing to tear transversely across the pouch,the tear will intersect the unsealed area so as to gain access to thecontents through the opening that results.

The tear initiation and fin tear-propagating features are the only tearfeatures in the pouch. There are no further score lines or any otherfeatures promoting or facilitating tearing of the laminate material.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the laminate does notinclude a tear initiation feature comprising a hole formed through thelaminate and straddling a fold line. Instead, the laminate includes ascore line that extends across the laminate in the transverse direction.Where the laminate is formed of an outer structure laminated to an innerstructure, the score line is formed in the outer structure but not inthe inner structure.

There is a second fold line along which the laminate is folded when itis wrapped. The two fold lines respectively become the two longitudinaledges of the completed pouch. One end of the score line is locatedwithin the top seal of the completed pouch.

The laminate further defines a fin tear-propagating feature comprisingtwo tear areas formed respectively in the side edges of the laminatesuch that the tear areas substantially coincide on the fin so as to formthe fin tear-propagating feature. The fin tear-propagating feature issubstantially in transverse alignment with the score line. The tearareas can comprise notches formed into the side edges of the laminate sothat they extend partway across the widths of the respective fin panelsthat are sealed together to form the fin.

The top seal is configured such that the fin tear-propagating feature islocated in the top seal area so that it does not compromise the sealingof the pouch. One end portion of the score line is also located in thetop seal area. The top seal is further configured so that a portion ofthe unsealed area of the laminate contains an opposite end portion ofthe score line. In this manner, when a user opens the pouch by startingthe tear at one end of the score line and continuing to teartransversely across the pouch, guided by the score line, the tear willintersect the unsealed area so as to gain access to the contents throughthe opening that results.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the disclosure in general terms, reference willnow be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarilydrawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic depiction of a first phase of a manufacturingmethod for making a flexible packaging structure in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic depiction of a second phase of the method inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic depiction of a second phase of the method inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the laminate used to form a flexible packagingstructure in accordance with one embodiment of the invention

FIG. 5 is a front view of a package that can be formed from a flexiblepackaging structure made in accordance with the embodiment FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged portion of the tear area of the package in FIG.5 in a partially opened state;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a top portion of a laminate used to form aflexible pouch in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7A is a front view of a top portion of the flexible pouch formedfrom the laminate of FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a top portion of a laminate used to form aflexible pouch in accordance with yet another embodiment of theinvention; and

FIG. 8A is a front view of a top portion of the flexible pouch formedfrom the laminate of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which some but not allembodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, these inventions may beembodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limitedto the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legalrequirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

As an initial overview of preferred embodiments of the invention, aflexible packaging laminate is constructed to have a built-in openingfeature. The laminate is constructed as a multi-layer structure byadhesively laminating a first structure to a second structure, whereineach of the first and second structures comprise one or more layers offlexible material. Adhesive may be applied to one of the structuresbefore lamination. Once the laminate is formed, laser ablationoperations are performed along portions of the laminate using a laser topenetrate through at least a portion of a thickness of the laminatematerial. Laser ablation of the tear areas of the laminate preferablybegins at the center of a tear area, and progressively the laser movesin a direction radially outwardly from the center until the laserdelineates the desired outer perimeter of the tear area. The laserablation process may also be used to form a score line. Further, laserablation may also be used to form a sealant reduction area along thesecond structure of the laminate by, for example, ablating an area ofthe second structure of the laminate. The second structure of thelaminate may be a sealant film.

More particularly, with reference to FIG. 1, a first phase of themanufacturing process is depicted. A first structure 10 is advanced froma supply roll 12 by suitable web driving and handling equipment (notshown) to an optional print station 14 comprising a printing apparatus,such as a rotogravure printer or the like, for printing graphics and/orindicia on the first structure by applying inks to a surface of thefirst structure. The first structure 10 comprises one or more layers offlexible packaging material. Various materials can be used for thelayer(s) of the first structure, including polymers such polyesters,polyolefins (including homopolymers and copolymers), polyamides, andothers; paper; metal foil; and the like. The first structure 10 mayinclude an outer layer (not illustrated) that is substantiallytransparent and is reverse-printed in the print station 14, i.e., theinks are applied to the surface of the first structure 10 that issubsequently laminated to another structure, as described below, fromthe opposite side of the first structure, which will form an exterior ofa package constructed from the packaging laminate, such that the inksare visible through the first structure. As an example, the firststructure 10 can comprise a layer of polyester such as polyethyleneterephthalate or the like.

Prior to printing the first structure in the print station, the surfaceof the first structure that is subsequently laminated to the otherstructure can be treated by a corona discharge or flame treatmentapparatus 16 to render the surface more receptive to the inks and/or torender the surface more readily bondable to the adhesive that issubsequently applied to the surface as described below. Alternatively,the first structure 10 can have already been so treated prior to beingwound into the supply roll 12, such that the treatment apparatus 16 isunnecessary.

Following the optional corona/flame treatment and/or optional printingoperation, and with reference to FIG. 1, the first structure 10 isadvanced to an adhesive application station 18 at which an adhesive (notillustrated) is applied to the first structure. The adhesive applicationstation 18 can comprise any suitable device capable of accuratelyapplying a suitable laminating adhesive to the first structure. Forexample, as shown, the adhesive application station can comprise a roll24 that picks up the adhesive from a reservoir 26 on the outer surfaceof the roll. A doctor blade 28 may be used to scrape off any excessadhesive. The first structure 10 is contacted by the roll 24; a backingroll 30 provides support on the opposite side of the first structure 10.After the first adhesive application station 18, the first structure 10is advanced to a dryer 31 such as an oven or the like, to dry theadhesive applied to the first structure.

The first structure 10 is then advanced to a laminating station 40,comprising a pair of rolls forming a nip therebetween. The firststructure 10 is passed through the nip along with a second structure 42that is advanced from its own supply roll 44, and the first and secondstructures 10, 42 are laminated to each other. The second structure 42comprises one or more layers of flexible material, and is coextensivewith the first structure 10—i.e., the width of the second structure 42is substantially equal to the width of the first structure 10 and thelongitudinal edges of the second structure 42 substantially coincidewith the longitudinal edges of the first structure 10.

The laminate may also optionally include a metallization layer or ametal foil layer between the first structure 10 and the second structure42. This is beneficial in enhancing the barrier performance of thelaminate as already noted. Additionally, however, where a metal foillayer is included, it can also be helpful when a laser is used forablating only the first structure 10 or the second structure 42. Forexample, it can be difficult to employ a sufficiently high laser energyto ablate through a polyethylene sealant layer without ablating throughthe laminate more deeply than desired. Thus, the metal foil layer can behelpful in “tuning” the laser to penetrate only up to the foil layer.However, when a metallization layer is employed instead of a metal foillayer, the metallization layer generally will not stop a laser beam. Inthat case, the laser can be “tuned” to score to a certain depth by usingdifferent polymers for the different layers in the laminate, such that,for example, one layer readily absorbs laser energy and thus isrelatively easily ablated, while a layer below that layer is formed of apolymer that does not absorb laser energy as well and hence is notablated.

The resulting laminate 46 is then advanced to a reel-up (not shown)where it is wound into a roll for subsequent processing in the secondphase of the manufacturing process as described below. Alternatively, itis possible for the reel-up operation to be omitted, such that thelaminate is directly advanced to the second phase.

With reference to FIG. 2, the second phase of the process is nowdescribed. A supply roll 48 of the laminate 46 formed in the first phaseof the process is shown. The laminate is advanced from the supply rollto a first laser ablation station 50 at which an ablated area is formedthrough the thickness of the first structure 10. The first ablationstation 50 can comprise a laser 54 and sensor 56 as depicted in FIG. 2.The use of lasers for ablating through flexible materials is generallyknown, for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,499, incorporatedherein by reference. The depth of the ablation formed by the laser canbe regulated by regulating the power output or beam intensity of thelaser beam, the width or spot size of the laser beam, and the amount oftime a given spot on the film surface is irradiated by the beam. Thesefactors generally are selected based on the characteristics of thematerial being ablated. Some materials are more readily ablated bylasers than other materials, as known in the art. Sensor 56 can detect afeature, such as an eye mark, on the laminate 46 whose location isknown, so that the ablation by laser 54 is in registration with theparameters of the package design based on signals from the detector, aswould be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Next, the laminate is advanced to an optional second ablation station 60that can comprise a laser 64 and sensor 66. The operation of the laser64 is synchronized with the advancement of the laminate in a manner asdescribed above.

As an alternative to the use of lasers for ablation of the laminate,ablation of the laminate 46 may be accomplished by cutting or chemicalremoval. For instance, as depicted in FIG. 3, a first ablation station50′ can comprise a kiss roll 51 and backing roll 53 that form a nipthrough which the laminate is passed. The kiss roll 51 comprises arotary cutting die defining a cutting edge (not shown). The kiss rollacts in conjunction with the backing roll to cut partially through thethickness of the laminate starting from the outer surface of the firststructure 10, such that the first structure 10 is substantially ablatedthrough while the second structure 42 is left intact. The secondablation station 60′ likewise comprises a kiss roll 61 and backing roll63 for ablating through the second structure 42.

Additionally, it is within the scope of the invention to ablate one sideof the laminate via laser and to cut or otherwise mechanically orchemically ablate the other side. This can be advantageous, for example,when one of the structures making up the laminate is readily ablated bythe particular wavelength of laser radiation employed, but the otherstructure is not as readily ablated. For instance, when the firststructure 10 is a polyester such as PET, it can readily be ablated witha CO₂ laser of a particular wavelength, but if a polyethylene heat seallayer is employed for the second structure 42, that layer is not asreadily ablated by the CO₂ laser as is the PET. In this case, kisscutting or other mechanical process can be used to ablate the secondstructure 42.

After the ablation operations, the laminate 46 can be sent to a reel-up(not shown) and wound into a roll for subsequent processing. Thelaminate can also be slit into a plurality of partial widths and woundinto multiple rolls. In this latter instance, each partial width wouldhave the recurring patterns of adhesives applied with suitablyconfigured adhesive applicators to the full-width material, and wouldhave the recurring ablated areas formed by suitably configured ablationdevices acting on either the full-width laminate prior to slitting oracting on each partial-width portion after slitting.

Some possible applications for the resulting laminate are now explainedwith reference to FIGS. 4-6. FIGS. 4-6 show a flexible package 94 andthe associated laminate portion 70. The flexible package 94 includes alaminate portion 70 cut from the laminate 46 that is manipulated to forma package to hold one or more of an assortment of contents and is sealedto enclose the contents.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, a flexible package 94 is formed from alaminate portion 70 cut from laminate 46 using various methods known inthe art. Laminate portion 70 includes a number of sections that make updifferent parts of a fully formed flexible package 94. The laminate 70includes a top end 74 with a top seal area 76 represented by a hatchedregion. Top portion 74 also includes first tear area 78 and second teararea 79 and one or more sealant reduction areas 80. The laminate portion70 also includes a bottom end 72 with a bottom seal area 76 representedby a hatched region.

FIG. 4 also illustrates parts of the laminate portion 70 that make upthe different panels or portions of a finished flexible package 94. Thepanels spanning the entire height of the laminate portion 70 include thefront panel 82, first-visible rear panel 84, visible fin panel 86,second-visible rear panel 88, covered rear panel 90, and interior finpanel 92. Each of the panels of the laminate portion 70 abut one or moreother panels at junctions 93 illustrated by dashed lines. In particular,visible fin panel 86 forms a junction 93 with a side of thefirst-visible rear panel 84, and the front panel 82 forms anotherjunction 93 with the first-visible rear panel 84. The second-visiblerear panel 88 forms a junction 93 with the front panel 82, the samejunction 93 also separating the first tear area 78 from the second teararea 79. Another junction 93 is located between the second-visible rearpanel 88 and the covered rear panel 90. Finally, a junction existsbetween the covered rear panel 90 and the interior fin panel 92.

The tear areas 78, 79 of the laminate are preferably positioned alongthe junction 93 between the front panel 82 and the second-visible rearpanel 88 in an abutting relationship. The shape of the tear areas 78, 79may be substantially semi-circular or parabolic segments with respect tothe junction 93. Together, tear areas 78, 79, when abutting each other,may form a substantially circular area on the laminate portion 70. Acenter area formed between the combination of the abutting tear areas78, 79 may be offset in a perpendicular direction from the junction 93existing between tear areas 78, 79.

The sealant reduction areas 80 are positioned in the top seal portion 76of the laminate portion 70. In a preferred embodiment, sealant reductionareas 80 are located in the top seal portion 76 of the front panel 82,the first-visible rear panel 84, and the interior fin panel 92. Thesealant reduction areas 80 of the preferred embodiment are alsopositioned adjacent to one or both of tear areas 78, 79. The sealantreduction areas 80 are also preferably positioned along a path that thelaminate portion will be torn by a user of the flexible package 94.

Formation of the first tear area 78, second tear area 79, and sealantreduction areas 80 may be accomplished through the use of a laserablation process discussed above. By performing laser ablation on asurface of the laminate portion 70, a laser can be configured topenetrate through either a portion or the full thickness of the laminateportion 70. Ablation of a tear area of the laminate portion 70preferably begins at a center of the area to be ablated andprogressively moves the laser in a direction radially outwardly from thecenter of the tear area. The use of such a technique helps in reducingthe amount of scrap material from the laminate portion 70 that may beproduced during the ablation process. Ablation of the laminate portion70 may also include the formation of a score line adjacent to the tearareas 78, 79. Such a score line is preferably oriented in a tearingdirection and adjacent the tear areas 76, 78.

FIG. 5 illustrates a fully assembled flexible package 94 constructedfrom the laminate portion 70 described above. The edges or creases ofthe flexible package are formed along the respective junctions 93 toform the different panels and fin of the flexible package 94. Theflexible package 94 is manipulated into a tubular shape, and bottom end72 and the top end 74 of the laminate portion 70 are sealed togetheralong seal areas 76. After the flexible package 94 has been sealed, tearareas 76, 78 are exposed along the junction between the front panel 92and second-visible rear panel 88 to form a groove to assist in beginningthe opening process of the flexible package 94.

When the flexible package 94 is opened, a tear is created in theflexible package 94 at the groove formed by the tear areas 76, 78 asillustrated in FIG. 6. After a tear is created in the flexible package94, the tear is propagated in a transverse direction such that the tearpasses through the sealant reduction areas 80 to facilitate opening theflexible package 94. By opening flexible package 94 at the tear areas76, 78 and through the sealant reduction areas 80, the laminate portionis more readily torn and less susceptible to stretching. Thus, theoccurrence of opening failures in the flexible package 94 can bereduced.

FIGS. 7 and 7A illustrate a further embodiment of the invention. Inaccordance with this embodiment, a laminate 100 is provided for forminga flexible pouch generally similar to the previously described pouch.The laminate has a bottom edge (not visible), a top edge 102, and twoopposite longitudinally extending side edges 104 and 106. The laminateis wrapped about a longitudinal axis, and portions 104 a and 106 a (alsoreferred to herein as fin panels) of the laminate respectively adjacentthe opposite side edges 104 and 106 are sealed together to form a fin108 (FIG. 7A) extending longitudinally along the pouch. Two facingportions of the laminate adjacent the top edge 102 are sealed togetherto form a top seal 110 (indicated by cross-hatching in FIG. 7A), and twofacing portions of the laminate adjacent the bottom edge are sealedtogether to form a bottom seal (not visible).

The laminate defines a tear initiation feature 112 comprising a holeformed through the laminate and straddling a first fold line 114 alongwhich the laminate is folded when it is wrapped about the longitudinalaxis. There is a second fold line 116 along which the laminate is foldedwhen it is wrapped. The fold lines 114 and 116 respectively become thetwo longitudinal edges 118 and 120 of the completed pouch, as shown inFIG. 7A. The tear initiation feature 112 is located within the top seal110 of the completed pouch.

The laminate further defines a fin tear-propagating feature 122comprising two tear areas 124 and 126 formed respectively in the sideedges 104 and 106 of the laminate such that the tear areas substantiallycoincide on the fin 108 so as to form the fin tear-propagating feature122. The fin tear-propagating feature 122 is substantially in transversealignment with the tear initiation feature 112. In the illustratedembodiment, the tear areas 124 and 126 comprise notches formed into theside edges of the laminate so that they extend partway across the widthsof the respective fin panels that are sealed together to form the fin108.

As depicted in FIG. 7A, the top seal 110 is configured such that thetear initiation feature 112 and fin tear-propagating feature 122 arelocated in the top seal area, so that these features do not compromisethe sealing of the pouch. The top seal is further configured so that aportion of the unsealed area of the laminate is in transverse alignmentwith the tear features 112 and 122. In this manner, when a user opensthe pouch by starting the tear at the tear initiation feature 112 andcontinuing to tear transversely across the pouch, the tear willintersect the unsealed area so as to gain access to the contents throughthe opening that results.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 7A, the tear features 112 and 122 arethe only tear features in the pouch. There are no further score lines orany other features promoting or facilitating tearing of the laminatematerial.

Yet another embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 8 and 8A.The laminate 200 illustrated in FIG. 8 is generally similar to thelaminate 100 of FIG. 7. The laminate includes a top edge 202, side edges204 and 206, and a bottom edge (not visible). The laminate is wrappedabout a longitudinal axis, and portions 204 a and 206 a (also referredto herein as fin panels) of the laminate respectively adjacent theopposite side edges 204 and 206 are sealed together to form a fin 208(FIG. 8A). Two facing portions of the laminate adjacent the top edge 202are sealed together to form a top seal 210 (FIG. 8A), and two facingportions of the laminate adjacent the bottom edge are sealed together toform a bottom seal (not visible).

The laminate 200 differs from the laminate 100 with respect to the typeof tear initiation feature employed. Specifically, the laminate 200 doesnot include a tear initiation feature comprising a hole formed throughthe laminate and straddling the fold line 214. Instead, the laminate 200includes a score line 212 that extends across the laminate in thetransverse direction. Where the laminate is formed of an outer structurelaminated to an inner structure (similar to the structures 10 and 42illustrated in FIG. 1), the score line 212 is formed in the outerstructure but not in the inner structure.

There is a second fold line 216 along which the laminate is folded whenit is wrapped. The fold lines 214 and 216 respectively become the twolongitudinal edges 218 and 220 of the completed pouch, as shown in FIG.8A. One end of the score line 212 is located within the top seal 210 ofthe completed pouch.

The laminate further defines a fin tear-propagating feature 222comprising two tear areas 224 and 226 formed respectively in the sideedges 204 and 206 of the laminate such that the tear areas substantiallycoincide on the fin 208 so as to form the fin tear-propagating feature222. The fin tear-propagating feature 222 is substantially in transversealignment with the score line 212. In the illustrated embodiment, thetear areas 224 and 226 comprise notches formed into the side edges ofthe laminate so that they extend partway across the widths of therespective fin panels that are sealed together to form the fin 208.

As depicted in FIG. 8A, the top seal 210 is configured such that the fintear-propagating feature 222 is located in the top seal area so that itdoes not compromise the sealing of the pouch. One end portion of thescore line 212 is also located in the top seal area. The top seal isfurther configured so that a portion of the unsealed area of thelaminate contains an opposite end portion of the score line 212. In thismanner, when a user opens the pouch by starting the tear at one end ofthe score line 212 and continuing to tear transversely across the pouch,guided by the score line 212, the tear will intersect the unsealed areaso as to gain access to the contents through the opening that results.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

1. A flexible pouch for containing a product, the flexible pouchcomprising: a flexible laminate having a top edge, a bottom edge, andtwo opposite longitudinally extending side edges, the laminate beingwrapped about a longitudinal axis and portions of the laminate adjacentthe opposite side edges being sealed together to form a fin extendinglongitudinally along the pouch, two facing portions of the laminateadjacent the top edge being sealed together to form a top seal, and twofacing portions of the laminate adjacent the bottom edge being sealedtogether to form a bottom seal; a tear initiation feature comprising ahole formed through the laminate and located within the top seal,wherein the tear initiation feature is located at one longitudinal edgeof the pouch when the laminate is wrapped and sealed to form the pouch;and a fin tear-propagating feature comprising two tear areas formedrespectively in the side edges of the laminate such that the tear areassubstantially coincide on the fin so as to form the fin tear-propagatingfeature, the fin tear-propagating feature being substantially intransverse alignment with the tear initiation feature.
 2. The flexiblepouch of claim 1, wherein the top seal is configured such that anunsealed area of the laminate is in transverse alignment with the tearinitiation and fin tear-propagating features, such that when the pouchis torn open beginning at the tear initiation feature and proceedingalong a tear line transversely across the pouch, the tear lineintersects the unsealed area so as to form an opening into the pouch. 3.The flexible pouch of claim 1, wherein the hole is a laser-formed hole.4. The flexible pouch of claim 1, wherein the two tear areas arelaser-formed notches in the side edges of the laminate.
 5. The flexiblepouch of claim 4, wherein the laminate comprises an outer structurelaminated to an inner structure, the outer structure forming an outersurface of the pouch and the inner structure forming an innerproduct-contacting surface of the pouch.
 6. The flexible pouch of claim5, wherein the outer structure includes a barrier layer and the innerstructure includes a sealant layer that forms the product-contactingsurface.
 7. The flexible pouch of claim 1, wherein except for the tearinitiation feature and the fin tear-propagating feature, the laminate isfree of any further tear-facilitating features.
 8. A flexible pouch forcontaining a product, the flexible pouch comprising: a flexible laminatehaving a top edge, a bottom edge, and two opposite longitudinallyextending side edges, the laminate being wrapped about a longitudinalaxis and portions of the laminate adjacent the opposite side edges beingsealed together to form a fin extending longitudinally along the pouch,two facing portions of the laminate adjacent the top edge being sealedtogether to form a top seal, and two facing portions of the laminateadjacent the bottom edge being sealed together to form a bottom seal; afin tear-propagating feature comprising two tear areas formedrespectively in the side edges of the laminate such that the tear areassubstantially coincide on the fin so as to form the fin tear-propagatingfeature; and a score line extending across the laminate andsubstantially in transverse alignment with the fin tear-propagatingfeature.
 9. The flexible pouch of claim 8, wherein the top seal isconfigured such that an unsealed area of the laminate is in transversealignment with the score line and fin tear-propagating feature, suchthat when the pouch is torn along a tear line beginning at one end ofthe score line and proceeding along the score line transversely acrossthe pouch, the tear line intersects the unsealed area so as to form anopening into the pouch.
 10. The flexible pouch of claim 8, wherein thelaminate comprises an outer structure laminated to an inner structure,the outer structure forming an exterior surface of the pouch, the innerstructure forming an interior product-contacting surface of the pouch.11. The flexible pouch of claim 10, wherein the score line is formed inthe outer structure but not in the inner structure.
 12. The flexiblepouch of claim 8, wherein the fin tear-propagating feature and the scoreline are formed by a laser.